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“And for Wales!” Over the years this short rhetorical question from Thomas More to his young friend Richard Rich (from Paul Scofield to John Hurt in the film), has become for me one of the most memorable quotations from A Man for All Seasons. It is More’s profound reaction to Richard Rich having sold out his conscience to Thomas Cromwell for wealth and political preferment - a governorship of the comparatively tiny region of Wales. It is the exact opposite of More’s response to the demands of Henry VIII. More was Lord Chancellor but he could not sell his conscience for anything less than the truth as he judged it. For More the answer to ‘heroism: what price glory?’ was the glory of God’s approval and honor through a martyr’s death. Fred Zinnemann’s film version of A Man For All Seasons won Oscars in 1966 for Best Film, Screenplay, Director, Cinematography, Costume Design and Actor. Robert Bolt adapted the screenplay from his original play about More. The play was a great success in London, New York, and then on world stages, and had already become part of English literature since it was first published in 1960. In the introduction to the text of the play, Bolt explains his interest in, and admiration for, More as an authentic human being, true to himself and what he believed was right. It cost him his life. In the film, Paul Scofield repeats his stage performance as More and has been praised universally for it. However, one very important feature of the play was not incorporated into the screenplay: the character of The Common Man. This was a marvellous device for comment on the action and on More himself. The Common Man was the ordinary citizen, the boatman on the Thames, the servant, the executioner…. Leo McKern played him on the stage but on screen McKern appeared as Thomas Cromwell.
The challenge in Bolt’s interpretation of More for contemporary audiences is that the conscience appeal to ideological principles, which can lead to torture and death in real life, is not something that is valued so strongly today. In a subjective and relativist world, we seek alternative ways out of a dilemma rather than taking a position and making a stand. The positive side of this is that our moral decisions may be more nuanced. The negative side is that principles lose out to pragmatism, an accusation levelled at many world leaders today. The other contemporary aspect of following conscience is that loyalty has a diminished place. Nowadays, authority figures have to earn respect by the credibility of their behavior, and what they ask of others has to appear reasonable. One might say that More’s decision to forfeit his life rather than agreeing to the annulment of Henry’s marriage to Catherine of Aragon is heroism, but today it might be considered ‘no big deal’. While Fred Zinnemann’s film has a secure place in the history of honored cinema, mention should be made of the 1988 television version of A Man for All Seasons. Many critics find it easy to scoff at Charlton Heston. After all, he has essayed on screen an enormous range of historical and literary characters, from Moses to Michelangelo (and even played God in Almost an Angel). However, Heston, who also starred in the play, directed the 1980s version for Turner Network Television, with himself in the lead. He used a strong British cast with Vanessa Redgrave (who had appeared briefly as Anne Boleyn in the original) as Alice. John Gielgud appears as Wolsey. For that television version (unfortunately not available on DVD at this time), Robert Bolt reverted to the original text for the teleplay and re-introduced the Common Man as a chorus character (played by Roy Kinnear) assuming many roles and offering commentary, sometimes cynical, sometimes wise.
The glory achieved by More’s heroism is eternal glory in heaven. But, scholar and gentleman as he was, he has also attained a glorious reputation down here on earth. Friend of Erasmus, he is the civilized Renaissance man and author of Utopia. His career as politician and chancellor were exemplary. He is a Christian model of practical sanctity in the world (rather than the too often honored ecclesiastical sanctity) and he is a family man, father and husband. One does not have to be a Christian to admire his stances on principle and the sacrifice of his own life. From prison, he wrote to Margaret, “…yet can I not but trust in his merciful goodness that as his grace has strengthened me hitherto and made me content in my heart to lose goods, land, and life too rather than swear against my conscience… his grace shall give me that strength to take it patiently, and peradventure somewhat gladly too…” Thomas More is a heroic man for all seasons, including the season for death. Peter Malone is an Australian Missionary of the Sacred Heart who lives and works in London. He has served as the world president of OCIC, The International Catholic Organization for Cinema (1988-2001) and the first president of SIGNIS, The World Catholic Association for Communication (2001-2005). His publications include Movie Christs and Antichrists and the award winning series Lights, Camera… Faith…. (with Rose Pacatte).
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THOMAS MORE: Heroic Witness to Conscience
While Wendy Hiller as Lady Alice and Susannah York as More's beloved
daughter Meg, provide the challenges and temptations to More to give
up and accept ordinariness, Orson Welles' cameo as Cardinal Wolsey and Robert Shaw as Henry VIII provide the 16th century religious and political context so that a 20th and 21st century audience can access the context of More's moral dilemmas. Nowadays, the moral code and strict Church teaching that forbade divorce and remarriage do not have the authority and power they once did so that for modern audiences it can be hard to appreciate why More was so tenacious in faith and moral decisions for these issues, even to death.
The 1966 film looks sumptuous and was shot in England. It runs for two and a half hours and offers an opportunity for those who have not seen the stage production to appreciate the full text.